I am moving all day and not
moving at all. I am like the moon underneath the waves that
ever go rolling. - anonymous

Optimum 20-bit Hi-D transfers from the
original first generation 1972 1/2" Dolby A master tapes.
Includes a fascinating outtake of Winter, plus the first
release of a previously unavailable 1986 companion work,
Land of the Midnight
Sun.

Sonic Seasonings: A
definitive remastering, while looking back

When Sonic Seasonings was composed,
there was no existing category for music of its kind: "a third,
viable alternative to acoustic and musical environmental
presentations." What became a catch-all of laid back, ephemeral
styles, "New Age Music," was yet to come-over a decade in the future.
We thought of it simply as another promising new way to make
electronic music. We wanted to combine instrumental and other
performed layers, with those taken directly from nature, and thus
unperformed.

Since the term "Sound Design" was a concept that didn't yet exist
by name, we had to innovate, working over and designing aural
qualities and effects, building raw timbres from the ground up. Today
no one would blink. Back then it was unproven and pioneering.

It was Rachel's and my goal to find a way to assemble music that
had a much longer span and overall arch than most contemporary music
of the time. We also wanted it to avoid the label of Classical music;
these were not intended to be mini-symphonies, except in the subtlest
and most analytic way. They were not intended as Popular music,
either, as the extreme length of each movement will prove. They were
also not Jazz, although some improvisational elements form an
integral and essential part-while other elements are strictly
composed and notated before recording them.

The music was deliberately minimal-this before the category of
Minimalistic Music had been developed and in vogue. It was intended
to work on a timbral and experiential level, so the sound could "flow
over you," not a cerebral exercise like so much of what is now seen
to be a wasteland of serious music from mid 20th Century until
recently.

Fortunately, we made the recordings and mixes using the then
state-of-the-art equipment available, and the master tapes still
sound damn good. It is a pleasure to be able to go back and extract
the essence from them in such a clean way, coming up with a digital
master that sounds as fresh today as the master did then. No, it's
even better, as the equipment has improved, and we can optimize and
perform very subtle noise reduction. All those awful compromises of
equalization and limiting that the LP required are gone. This is the
way I'd hoped the original release could have sounded. It just took a
little while longer...

There is a long-overdue demand for a definitive two track stereo
re-release of Sonic Seasonings. New developments will make it
possible to do a real multichannel
stereo surround version soon as well
(note: multichannel DVD-Audio
has just been standardized -- yeay!). That will be personally
very satisfying to me. After all, back in 1971 I had requested that
CBS release the album using the then new CD-4 true Quadraphonic
system. CBS refused (after all, JVC
along with "the enemy", RCA, had developed CD-4!), wishing to
use their imitation, pseudo-quad
compromise, SQ. A standoff. Another big surprise after all these
years is that two track stereo is still the standard, most popular
method of music reproduction found in the world, a status not about
to be replaced anytime soon. This deluxe edition therefore will
satisfy that genuine need.

We have used every possible care to assure the integrity of this
digital master to the original mixed tapes. The actual 3-M tape
machine used to record those first generation surround masters was
painstakingly refurbished and brought up to spec. Other than Dolby,
no auxiliary equipment was placed in the circuit path into our high
resolution A/D convertors. The 4 to 2 channel "fold-in" reduction was
fed directly to the DAW, replicating the process I'd developed
originally for our CBS two track masters, including that "nearly
surround" property. I hope you enjoy hearing all the details, clarity
and sonic depth that remained inaudible up until now.

There's music in the sighing of a
reed;
There's music in the gushing of a rill;
There's music in all things, if man had ears;
The earth is but the music of the spheres.-George Gordon, Lord
Byron (1788-1824)

Sonic Seasonings has the form of a musical
suite, made of four contrasting movements. Each is loosely based on
images of the four basic seasons on our planet: Spring,
Summer, Fall, and Winter. In that way they are
descendants to an extent of what is called: "programmatic music,"
music that sets a mood and can even suggest events and scenes.

There is no real plot in any of the movements. Instead they
suggest a cyclic point of view that moves onto a few other musical
locations, and eventually returns to a similar setting as whence it
began. This is sometimes called Arch Form, just as the name suggests,
going up and over and then down and back again. While we were aware
of these formal niceties while composing the movements, they were
just intended to be a mild guide, to help keep the overall shape
intact, as it difficult to retain consistency and coherency over
musical sections lasting around 22 minutes apiece.

One of the most fascinating-and least
explored-areas of scientific investigation is that of
psychoacoustics, the manner in which the ear and brain interact to
sounds. In reality, any sound that we hear is subject to
interpretation by our individual experience and the circumstances
surrounding that sound. For example, a loud sound will register on
the ear as either louder or softer, depending on the sound that
precedes and follows it. Similarly, a quiet tone gains in intensity
by the degree of loudness surrounding it. When these qualities of
sound, or music, are deliberately "mixed" or manipulated, the result
can be a fascinating perceptual "illusion" that enriches today's
musical palette almost beyond imagination.

All this is simply to explain what Sonic Seasonings is all
about: It is an aural tapestry, created by the imagination and
expertise of Wendy Carlos, from impressionistic and expressionistic
experiences of Nature. It contains natural sounds, recorded in Quad
as realistically as possible and subtly mixed with electronic and
instrumental sounds in an effort to create four evolving, undulating
cycles evocative of the moods of earth's seasons. We have manipulated
these sounds--electronically orchestrated them, so to speak--into an
amalgam of the natural and the synthetic.

To produce this record, an entirely new technique and methodology
had to be created. Equipment had to be designed and built,
engineering technology had to be developed-we were "winging it" from
the first inch of tape to the end. A great deal of what you will hear
is illusory: Some sounds appear louder or softer than are measurable
and some emanate from directions that are virtually inexplicable by
customary "norm" perceptions. While the quadraphonic
master is particularly an ear-fooler in these and other ways,
Wendy conceived a unique system to make the stereo version "almost
quad." (In fact, it was frequently impossible for us to believe that
we were listening to the stereo version.)

The sounds and music in this album represent, then, a painstaking
synchronization, re-ordering, and blending of as many as 48 Dolbyized
tracks at a time (note: this was a
lotta tracks in 1971!), and, we hope, suggest a third,
viable alternative to acoustic and musical environmental
presentations.

But on the level of pure enjoyment, these records were designed to
be a part of the decor, so to speak-a sonic ambience that enhances
the listener's total environment. On still another level, Sonic
Seasonings takes listeners out of their environment and into the
countryside of their fantasy: The weary urbanite can eavesdrop on the
conversation of chattering birds; the mountain dweller can lave his
soul with the sound of the surf, and so on.

We ask, however, that you, the listener, supply one element that
we could not possibly blend into the final mix-your own imagination
and his remembrance of Nature's blessings.

Land of the Midnight Sun, never before
released, is included here since it matches the style, mood, and
pacing of Sonic Seasonings to a remarkable degree. It began as
an experiment I undertook during the late Summer of 1986. We had just
gotten our second digital stereo recorder, and I wondered if their
extremely low noise would allow a return to the sound-on-sound
techniques pioneered by Les Paul in the 50's. How many generations of
added parts might now be possible? The surprising answer was "over a
dozen," well beyond the maximum with even the finest analog
recorders!

Sound-on-sound is a brutally unforgiving medium. If you make a
mistake, you must rewind, take a deep breath, and begin that take
again from the top. When I made LMS there was also no
practical way to edit our digital tapes. This double-challenge
encouraged working more like a jazz ensemble: each part was
improvised over the underlying chord changes. Everything here is
played "live" in real time on my Synergies. This includes all the
repeating patterns, which I was able to perform into the Synergies as
uneditable sequences, and could later trigger in any key. I also used
an optimized version of Werkmeister's Circular tunings, which results
in much smoother harmonies than from the usual tempered scale.

Before there was something called New Age
music and ambient recordings,and before there were nature CDs or
relaxation music, CBS released a 2-LP set by Wendy Carlos called
SONIC SEASONINGS. Beautifully packaged in a gatefold sleeve featuring
a lovely Japanese print, many remember the graphic as much as the
music itself. And that music was unlike anything heard before:
electronic synthesizers and nature sounds recorded "in the field" so
perfectly meshed that it was hard to distinguish what was which.Now, over 25 years since its original
release, comes the first CD release of this extraordinary work, with
details and sonic depth not attainable until now, painstakingly
remastered by Wendy herself using "Hi-D 20-bit" technology. This is a
landmark recording of the New Age, Ambient, and Nature / Relaxation
genres, created long before those genres had names. As a bonus, this
2CD set contains an alternate ending to "Winter," and a major work
from 1986, previously unreleased. "Land of the Midnight Sun" depicts
breathtaking polar light displays over a crystalline, frozen tundra,
full of beauty and danger.

Reviews
- January 1999,
<http://www.babysue.com>Wendy Carlos's
Clockwork Orange: Complete Original Score(CD, East Side Digital,
Classical/electronic), Sonic Seasonings / Land of the
Midnight Sun(Double CD, East Side Digital,
Ambient/electronic),Tales of Heaven and Hell (CD, East Side Digital,
Electronic)

Wendy
Carlos is what you might call a true genius in the world of twentieth
century music. She's always been ahead of her time...expanding
boundaries and challenging listeners and herself. Hats off to East
Side Digital for seeing fit to re-release earlier Carlos recordings
as well as her latest work. Wendy's first major claim to fame was a
recording called Switched On Bach, which literally changed the way
the world listened to classical music (it also ended up being the
first platinum classical album EVER). The re-releases of Clockwork
Orange and Sonic Seasonings were remastered by Wendy herself, so you
KNOW they sound dynamite...and both releases include extra tracks
that weren't included on the vinyl releases. You'd think that an
electronic recording from 1972 would sound dated and trite, but this
is definitely not the case with the Clockwork soundtrack. It sounded
futuristic and incredible then, and it sounds just as amazing
now.From the frightening "Timesteps" right
on through "Country Lane," this represents state-of-the-art
technology in the early seventies. The music has held up well, still
sounding better than most current electronic discs released of late.
Sonic Seasonings was Wendy's foray into
ambient music (although at that time I doubt such a label existed).
The music on Seasonings consists of four lengthy pieces divided up
into "Spring," "Summer," "Winter," and "Fall." The music captures the
essence of the seasons, with subtle electronics rounding out the
sound. The real treat on this double CD, however, is the last track
entitled "Midnight Sun." Unreleased until now, this hypnotic piece
represents Wendy at her best. Layers upon layers of thick heady tones
that sound like you've died and gone to heaven.
But if you think that her past work
overshadows her current endeavors, spinning Tales of Heaven and Hell
will change your mind.Possibly the most intensely orchestrated
work she has yet to produce, this disc leaves other electronic
musicians in a trail of dust (but then, Wendy always WAS ahead of her
time...). The tunes on this disc sound like the soundtrack to my
worst (and best) nightmares. Ms. Carlos throws so much at the
listener that you can't help but feel overwhelmed...but in a very
good way. Beautiful, frightening, surreal, psychedelic...there aren't
enough adjectives to describe this music. Each tune is meticulously
and painstakingly crafted. There's no telling how much time Wendy
spent creating epics such as "Transitional," "Clockwork Black," or
"Memories." Suffice to say, the lady who is largely responsible for
the entire world of electronic music is still light years ahead of
the rest. Easily one of the best CDs I've ever heard in my life,
Tales is a rich and rewarding trip into unlimitless imagination.
Wendy Carlos is in a category all her own. MIND BOGGLING.

Back
in the early eighties, there was a revival of ambient nature
recordings designed to get your mind out of the office and back to
your origins as a species-- the downtown escape to the wilderness.
Enlightened bookstores and coffee galleries boasted a series titled
"Elements," which was about 20 or so different full- length
recordings of different ambient nature scenes, from rain falling to
crickets at night to the seashore. It was the high- tech way to
release the primordial need.About the same time, new synthesizers
and sound technology made possible a whole new approach to spiritual
music, in the form of "new age." This ultra- modern approach to soul
definition led to the rise of labels such as Narada and American
Gramophone, and to the dismay of many, the rise to fame of new age
superstar Yanni. Through the nature synthetic and the science- fact
techno- compositions, people were finding routes of ambient aural
escape to free themselves from Reagan-era monotony.But long before then, in 1972, an
absolutely brilliant merging of these two styles had already
occurred. Wendy Carlos, already tenured from her role in the
Switched-On Bach record and the soundtrack to "A Clockwork
Orange," successfully creates the audio equivalent of the Reese's
Peanut Butter Cup-- combining two great recording genres and making
them great together.The theme for Sonic Seasonings is an
audio representation of the four weather phases of the Earth's
rotation. A simple enough idea, and something that had been done
plenty of times before-- probably most notably by Vivaldi. Wendy
Carlos, however, has to draw upon her intimate knowledge of the Moog
keyboard, and also the ability to include select ambient sounds that
she feels assist in representing what each of the seasons sounds
like.The result is mystical, deeper than the
most ambient of ambient, enchanting, hypnotizing, and frighteningly
accurate. The senses that Carlos is able to awaken with early 1970s
technology is certainly comparable to the most layered of modern
"black-box" compositions. It's hard to imagine that after eighty
minutes, a whole year has passed by, but the soothing nature of
Carlos' structures lulls one past time, unlike many of the "scratchy"
keyboard recordings of roughly the same era.

Talk about the ultimate in mood music. This
two-cd release captures the essence of the four seasons (Spring,
Summer, Fall and Winter) in all their glory. On top of that I got to
experience the sensation of the Aurora Borealis and felt like I was
floating through space with the tune Midnight Sun.Wendy has a way of giving feelings a
voice with this synthesized work of art. With the first cut Spring
all the senses come alive just through her use of sound. You get the
feeling of walking on the sweet grass, the birth of nature and the
emotions of it all.

--Mite

John DiLiberto (JazzIz magazine),
in a featured Amazon.com CD review

Wendy Carlos - "Sonic Seasonings"
(ESD)

Before there was ambient music, in a time
before the New Age, there was Wendy Carlos's Sonic Seasonings,
a double LP released in 1972. Taking the form of Antonio Vivaldi's
The Four Seasons, Carlos orchestrated four side-long soundscapes
designed, according to producer Rachel Elkind, to be "part of the
decor." Using only her Moog synthesizer and environmental sounds,
Carlos created prototypical ambient music, predating Brian Eno's
similar work by a few years.Carlos weaves gentle, often reedy
synthesizer melodies through chirping birds on "Spring,"
phase-shifted church organ drones across crystalline bells and wind
on "Winter," and she seems to simulate an alien space landing on
"Summer," mimicking nature with her synthesizer. An added treat on
this special double CD is a 40-minute, unreleased, two-part suite
from 1986 called "Land of the Midnight Sun." Using her Synergy
synthesizers, Carlos orchestrates slow-motion melodies and
overlapping minimalist layers that recall Steve Roach's "Structures
from Silence."Sonic Seasonings is the first
wave of a batch of Wendy Carlos reissues. While many of Carlos's
classical, "Switched-On" orchestrations have an antique, dated charm,
this original composition sounds fresh and current. In attempting a
music that wouldn't draw attention to itself, Carlos achieved a
prescient work of subtlety and depth on Sonic
Seasonings.

I've been listening to Clockwork
Orange quite often since getting it. "Orange Minuet" should have
been a hit single! Sonic Seasonings sounds great too.
Tangerine Dream must have been listening to it at the time Carlos
made it.

Wendy Carlos - "Tales of Heaven & Hell"
* * * * * (5 out of 5 stars)

Finally!!! Sonic Seasonings has been at the
top of my list of CD-wants since 1984. The depth of field, stereo
imaging and quietness of some passages just cry out for the digital
treatment.It was revolutionary when released in
1972, and you know what? It's still revolutionary today. It's not
classical, not jazz, not popular -- today this album would be filed
under "New Age" but that term was unknown 26 years ago. Carlos takes
natural recordings and mixes in wisps of melody and synthesized
birds, insects and wind, creating sonic tapestries more real than
real. As a listening experience it never ceases to astound, and over
thousands of playings I have yet to get tired of it.For the CD re-issue she has dug out an
alternate ending to one of the tracks, which is fascinating seeing
other directions she considered. She also drops in, unannounced, a
whole unreleased album(!) from 1986, two 20-minute tracks done in a
similar style but utilizing the digital technology available 14 years
later.My old LP is shiny from being played to
death. I'm glad to finally be able to retire it.

= Excellent work!! Put on your best
headphones; find a comfortable spot; and bliss out!! You will
actually need a warm coat to get through the "Winter" offering.This
is a wonderful example of early "zone-out" music, and you will not be
disappointed if your goal is total immersion in "nature," thanks to
the genius of Wendy Carlos. Enjoy.

--Annie, a music fan in Michigan

= After 26 years of waiting, it's finally
available. Following the success of S-OB, Wendy continued to
bring out amazing music. Using available technology but always making
the technology serve the music she created magical sonic
places.

Turn the lights down, listen to Winter and
feel the chills down your spine as you hear the Arctic wolves.

We've had the vinyl since 1972 and take it
out reverentially once a year. Can't wait to receive CDs. This will
be the best Christmas gift we'll give each other.

--P. Cresch, Glendale, CA
<pcresch@earthlink.net>

= Excellent - 15 years ahead of its time R
Carlsberg's review of the original record is accurate (i.e. it
mirrors my opinion).